Lyudmila Grosarchuk, curator of the museum Museum in Memory of
Emperor Nicholas II and his Family presents a valet bell by Carl Fabergé.
Photo © Olga Feldfebeleva

On 29th July 2024, the Museum in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II and his Family in Kotelniki (near Moscow), held a press conference, in which they presented a number of beautiful Fabergé items, which the museum recently added to their collection.

“Each item has its own unique story,” said Lyudmila Grosarchuk, curator of the museum. “While the famous jeweler Carl Fabergé is well known for his magnificent Imperial Easter Egg creations, he is less known for many household items for the Imperial Family. For example, a thermometer and a valet bell from his factory are now part of our collection. New additions also include several Fabergé photo frames. By the way, the Fabergé company still exists, it is located in France. And in our collection there are copies of his famous Imperial Easter Eggs[1], made at a modern factory in France,” she added.

Fabergé frames and thermometer.
Photo © Olga Feldfebeleva

Detail of a thermometer by Fabergé.
Photo © Olga Feldfebeleva

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna loved modern things that made life easier for her servants in the Imperial residences: the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, the Lower Dacha in Peterhof, and Livadia Palace in Crimea. One of these items turned out to be a room thermometer.

“Thermometers were made by the famous jeweler and were located in almost every room of the Imperial Family’s private apartments in the Winter Palace. Another interesting new item in our collection is an electric valet bell, which was a rarity at the beginning of the 20th century, it served to call a personal attendant to the Tsar or Tsarina. The bell came to our museum in bad condition, however, it has now been restore it to working order,” said Lyudmila Grosarchuk.

Pocket gold watch by Fabergé.
Photo © Olga Feldfebeleva

The receiving end of the valet bell by Fabergé.
Photo © Olga Feldfebeleva

The museum also has two truly unique exhibits. The first is an altar cross with an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Akhtyrka, painted by Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, sister of Nicholas II. The second exhibit is directly related to the last Emperor. This is a gold watch (see photo above) that Nicholas II presented to the best handicraftsman at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition of 1896, held in Nizhny Novgorod. The Emperor was so impressed by the skill of the handicraftsman, so he awarded him with a personalized gold watch.

“The museum is actively looking for more rarities to add to their funds, as well as the scientific study by the museum to establish the authenticity of each object which is acquired for their collection. The museum’s growing collection is the merit of our trustee Viktor Semyonov, who wants to show visitors something interesting, expanding their knowledge of the Imperial Family and opening the pages of our history with new facts,” Lyudmila Grosarchuk concluded.

NOTES:

[1] The Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg, currently holds 9 Imperial Easter Eggs, while the Armoury Museum in Moscow has 10 Imperial Easter Eggs in it’s collection.

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The Museum in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II and His Family

CLICK on the VIDEO above for a tour of the Museum in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II and his Family. Note the wonderful framed portraits of the Tsar hanging in the rooms of the museum. The VIDEO is in Russian only, however, do not allow that to stop you from enjoying what this unique museum has to offer visitors. Duration: 1 minute, 47 seconds.

The little-known Museum in Memory of Emperor Nicholas II and His Family was established in November 2023, in the Belaya (White) Dacha Estate, which is located the former village of Kotelniki, now part of the Moscow region. It is the latest in a several museums dedicated to the last Tsar and his family to be established in recent years in the Russian Federation.

Below, are a selection of photographs which showcase some of the interiors of the museum, although the VIDEO above, shows them in greater detail, as well as the personal items and memorabiliar associated with Emperor Nicholas II and his family:

© Paul Gilbert. 30 July 2024